An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

[iwombat]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

Like the others said, you gotta pop the powerhead to put your shift linkage back together. No shortcuts this time.

 

[Theoutdoorsman]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

This is a 6hp motor - there is only one carburetor, not two. There is also no linkage to get to under the carb because it is inside of the exhaust housing.

I stand corrected....... ...... Hopefully this is why you found it in two pieces in the first place. Makes one wonder if the owner couldn't get it back together huh? Still got my fingers crossed for ya JamieScott. Tell us something good on the compression check!!!!

 

[JamieScott]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

Ok guys here's the news update on the Seahorse ...

I've run a compression test on the cylinders and their equal (cold engine of course as I can't run it yet). Both giving out about 70 - 72 psi after 6 pulls on the rope. That's good yea???

I took the cover off the water pump to have a look at the impeller and it looks to me (could be wrong) as if it is fairly new - in fact it looks like it has been replaced and not yet used in the water. I'm starting to think (I don't want to get too excited yet) that maybe you're right Alan in saying that they may have thrown it out once they found out that they couldn't get the shift rod connected back in place easily.

It's quite a money rich area where I found it sitting with their council pickup garbage so maybe, just maybe someone tried to replace the impeller and then gave up when things got difficult.

Still a bit to do before I can get it started as I need to get hold of the manual from Ebay to see how to pull the powerhead off and then also buy the bolts that are missing to bolt the lower section back on once I get the rod re-connected.

Do you think these bolts will have to be part specific or would I just be able to get some from a hardware store instead?

Final question for you experts. The driveshaft moves up out of the waterpump by about 1cm if you pull it upwards. Should there be this amount of movement here??

Here's a few pics of the motor and the boat that I picked up from the side of the road!!

Jamie

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

Yes, you can move the driveshaft - in fact, if the water pump housing is off, you will probably be able to remove the driveshaft completely.

To remove the powerhead, you must remove a number of small bolts underneath of it. There is a flange at the top of the exhaust housing and the bolts pass through it from bottom to top.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

Not sterling compression readings, but do-able...compression may come up some when it has gas/oil in the system. Might want to decarb it with Sea Foam after you get it back together and running...that can sometimes bump compression a little, too. Nice rig for a freebie, wonder how fast that blimpie will go with the Johnson on the transom?

 

[rabidfish]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

It'll be OK... keep lovin' it!

 

[wbeaton]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

Nice find. Your compression is fine, but I see a big problem. I don't see the lower crankcase seal on the driveshaft. Do you have it or is it missing? It looks like the attached image. The entire assembly includes a cork gasket (1), brass washer (2), o-ring (3), carbon seal (4), brass spring (5), and a brass cup (6). If you run the motor without it, water will get in the crankcase and destroy your motor.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

Great engine for free. Hope it all goes together ok. After you decarb you might want to try a new head gasket also to try and bring the compression up but it'll run with 70#'s a side.

 

[JamieScott]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

Thanks for the last few posts guys

I'm still trying to figure out where to buy the bits that I need to put it back together. I need to get another gasket for the powerhead and also the bolts that I need to bolt the lower section back on.

Thanks Jay for the re-assurance that the drive shaft should move. I was a bit concerned!

Tmcalavy - I'm curious to see how fast it will go with the motor on the back as well. On the plate at the back of the boat is says it can take up to a 7.5hp. It should be good I hope! I will try a decarb once it's up and running.

Samo - Maybe you're right changing the head gasket in time may also help (a winter project I feel coming on!)

Wbeaton - I thought the same thing when I looked at that diagram but then someone told me that these parts are actually located up inside the powerhead. I think that this is the case as I can see the spring where the driveshaft goes up into the powerhead.

Take care for now and I will update you on the progress soon.

Jamie

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

Since I am the one who said that I think the lower crank seal parts are still there, I'll elaborate here in the thread.

When you remove the powerhead from the exhaust housing (midsection) on one of these motors, and look down into the channel that the driveshaft runs through, there is a ledge cast into the forward portion of it. I confirmed this by getting into my parts bin for 5.5hp & 6hp motors yesterday.

Although I have not pulled any of my 6hp motors apart (I have three of them) in a bunch of years, I seem to remember that the crank seal parts are loosely held in place by this ledge. When you insert the driveshaft up, into the exhaust housing, with the drive shaft pin in place, the pin pushes against the seal spring washer, compresses the spring, and then pushes the remaining parts in place. This creates the desired seal for the bottom of the crankshaft.

I'm not going to say that this is positively the case, because its been too long since I have had one of my 6hp powerheads off, but I think it is so. As such, I think the parts will be found in this motor when he pulls his powerhead to deal with the shift rod problem. Since he has to do this anyway, there is no harm in either proving or disproving my recollection.

As for installing a new head gasket, you can't lose by doing that either. The service manual actually calls for this as part of the tuneup procedure. As motors were manually decarbed before products like Seafoam and OMC Engine Tuner (the stuff in the can) were around, this was an accepted part of tuneup practice. I would say to just go ahead and pull the head, because replacing the head gasket will remove it as a possibility for lower compression. While your there, you may as well decarb the motor the old fashioned way.

PS: When you pull the seven small bolts that hold the powerhead to the exhaust housing, pay attention to where they came from - I seem to remember that one or two of them are longer than the rest.

 

[wbeaton]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

You are probably right about the lower seal being held in place. I haven't taken the lower off my 6 hp, yet, since I just bought it. I'm just going by my experience with 5.5 and 7.5 hp motors.

Either way, replace the cork gasket and o-ring once you pull the powerhead. I only replace head gaskets as a last resort. Your compression is fine and I doubt a new head gasket will give you any appreciable increase in compression, but it can't hurt either. The gasket is under $10 so that's not an issue. If you do pull the head lap the head before you put it back on.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

Good advice Wayne, and I agree that compressions in the 70 psi range aren't all that terrible for this motor. I don't even know what the "as new" compressions should be, but I doubt they were over about 90 psi.

 

[Harker]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

I would replace the head gasket when you pop the powerhead out..much easier to get at the lower bolts..if it's a saltwater motor, I may hold off till you see how it runs, hate to have snapped head bolts when it wasn't needed. I bet the compression numbers would be different with a different tester too. Sounds like they are even.Amazing how motorheads get behind a project like this! I'm going to keep my eyes open for motors laying in trash piles from now on!

 

[Theoutdoorsman]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

I'm curious to see how fast it will go with the motor on the back as well. On the plate at the back of the boat is says it can take up to a 7.5hp. It should be good I hope! I will try a decarb once it's up and running.

One things for sure.......this boat/motor ALREADY goes faster than the one you had just a few months ago!!!........... ........ I'm confident, with all the help you'll recieve here at iBoats, that you'll be enjoying your free ride in due time!!! Again.......Good Luck to ya!!!..................... ALAN

 

[4.0l sahara]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

On my 5hp the seal and spring come down on the drive shaft it should be the same on this I think.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

Your motor has the exhaust housing from the 4hp "pull and go" type motor - its a completely different unit than the one on the 6hp.

 

[wbeaton]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

Isn't it just an o-ring on the 5 hp? Shares the same lower as the 3 hp. Like Jay says its a completely different lower.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

Actually, the 5hp motor does have the spring washer, spring, crank seal, etc. I suspect that this is true because this motor uses a powerhead that appears to be the same as that used in the 6hp. What is different is the exhaust housing, which is sometimes referred to as "lower unit" on some OMC parts diagrams. If you look at the gearcase group for this motor, however, you will see the same parts on the diagram as for the upper end of the driveshaft for a 6hp.

I'm still not saying that I am absolutely correct but I think I am. Also, JamieScott is seeing the parts when looking up into the exhaust housing from below so, chances are that the parts are there.

Really though, these threads can be very useful because we find ourselves digging into the diagrams and offering personal experience with the various motors, while trying to find out the facts. In the end, we all learn a lot and that is never a bad thing. You should visit the thread that a few of us had in regard to the neutral safety switch in the 1972 Johnson hydro electric control box. We got to breaking down DC circuitry, polarity, diodes and basic electrical theory! We also ended up designing an alternative when the parts to fix these control units can not be found - "Ima" apply for an honorary degree in electrical engineering!

 

[JamieScott]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

One things for sure.......this boat/motor ALREADY goes faster than the one you had just a few months ago!!!........... ........ I'm confident, with all the help you'll recieve here at iBoats, that you'll be enjoying your free ride in due time!!! Again.......Good Luck to ya!!!..................... ALAN

You're right Alan!!! I'm sure it will be faster than a non-existent motor and boat - very funny!


I can't update you Gents anymore on the "Outboard for free" just now unfortunately as I don't have the time this weekend to begin to look further at it. I hope to try to take the powerhead off next week if I can get hold of the powerhead seal that I need once I put it back together.

I will also try to replace the cork gasket and o-ring (from the top of the dirveshaft) while I'm in there as I just read another post from a guy who's trying to remove the lower unit on his 150hp motor and it sounds like replacing them is easier than not being able to remove the lower unit in the future if the driveshaft rusts into the crankshaft.

I must say that this forum is fantastic!! It's been part of the fun of finding the engine to find the forum and see how helpful and friendly everyone is. My wife keeps saying "You're not on that website again are you!".

Thanks for the posts and the help you're all giving me - I'm learning so much in the space of a few weeks and I don't even have a motor that runs yet!!

Jamie

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: An outboard from the Garbage - but will it run again?

Once you get it up and running again, take the wife out to eat with the $$$ saved from doing it yourself...if you can get them involved with your recreational toys it makes "toying" around at will much easier.